I have always believed in taking leaps of faith. Having worked in the semiconductor industry in Singapore for the last six years, I was clocking in 100 hours week working on chasing datelines and shipment quotas. The intensity, challenges and endless learning taught me to continuously push myself forward and stay focused on the task.

On the other hand, like most Singaporeans today, money is hardly ever enough. Besides juggling my full-time work, I moonlighted as a freelance designer in whatever spare time I had. The supplementary income was good, but to me, it was an outlet to express creative freedom from the monotony of my everyday work.

In the last year, a few lifelong friends approached me with an idea for something greater: to be a partner in their startup venture. I took that leap of faith and left my full-time job. The last six months have been remarkable for me for many reasons.

Having experience in the freelance industry, one of the challenges for any freelancer is to figure out where to start. You have to market yourself on various websites in Singapore, with some sites being a mess allowing anything and everything to be advertised to try to get your name out there. Building your own website meant further financial investment with no guarantee of any returns. International freelance platforms meant competition on a global scale, lacking the social touch of meeting your clients and having a cup of coffee to discuss their projects. I was left scratching my head – there surely was a better way to be a freelancer in Singapore besides just driving people around.

I spent considerable time doing research on how the freelance economy worked in Singapore. In the process, I also gained valuable insights on the struggles of not just the freelancers, but the people who were looking for services provided by these freelancers, and how there was so much more that could be done to make the process simpler.

That was when my friends and I started 3Clicks, a digital marketplace aimed at bridging freelance services to the general public.

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It baffled me that technology had not simplified the process of being a freelancer in the physical space. You had to go through hoops and hurdles just to find a specific type of freelancer providing a service such as a piano coach or a dance instructor.  My background in the semiconductor field gave me a solid understanding of processes and workflow, and I leveraged that knowledge to help design a system that was transparent, easy-to-use and convenient, not just for the tech-savvy but for everyone.

Since deciding to go fulltime on this startup, I discovered what it meant to be an entrepreneur. My once 100-hour work weeks morphed to always being ready 24/7, 365 days a year. The freelance hours that once served as a creative outlet evolved to me thinking continuously on improving the platform and generating ideas. You have to strongly believe in the vision you have and I discovered that being an entrepreneur is a mindset – you look for things to make better and for problems to solve that can impact people.

Here are five of the biggest lessons I’ve learnt so far from my startup journey.

1. Talk to more people

The more people you can talk to, the more perspectives you gain. You start understanding your users better and living their problems, and this perspective leads you to create solutions that improve their lives. It helps validate your business plan. It helps you create a product that people actually want. In my journey, I constantly talk to freelancers. I ask them about their frustrations with the process and identify areas where things could be made simpler.

2. Do not be stagnant

Be curious and always having the drive to learn more, see more, do more. And constantly reinvent yourself to get better and never be satisfied with yourself. Keep improving your product and challenge yourself to find new ideas and opportunities to drive your message and vision forward.

3. Allow others to challenge your startup ideas

Don’t surround yourself with yes men. Have people work with you that believe in your vision but are willing to challenge your ideas. Defend your ideas and if you feel that your position is flawed, find alternatives. The challenge is to find the right solution to your problems and it is good to hear different perspectives and solutions.

Also Read: 4 unconventional digital marketing tips for experts and starters alike

4. Keep things simple

People like simple things. They would go for systems that are transparent and easy to use. It makes them feel they are in control instead of being blind and lost. Most buyers do not know what their choices are or that there are even choices. By allowing transparency and keeping it simple, you are giving them more confidence in their own ability to make a sound decision.

5. Be prepared

Be prepared for questions and squash doubts about what you are doing. Have the facts ready. It is a lot easier to talk about what you are doing with your startup and how it creates an impact when you know some of the major facts and statistics at the back of your hand. Keep track of your numbers and growth. Validate to yourself and others that your vision is growing.

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Image Credit: kzenon / 123RF Stock Photo

This article was first published on March 27, 2018

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